Things You Didn't Know About Cold Sores
Did you know that fever blisters (cold sores) actually caused a change in the public ceremonies of ancient Rome? Apparently, outbreaks got so bad that Tiberius just couldn't take it anymore and put a stop to kissing in public ceremonies to try to stop it.
In light of this, it's funny that we still don't know how to cure the oral herpes that causes cold sores. The FCIC says that somewhere between 45 and 80 percent of American adults will suffer from at least one outbreak during their lives.
Herpes simplex, the virus that causes fever blisters, is highly contagious during outbreaks, but less contagious when it lies dormant. However, did you know that most people who become infected with the Herpes simplex (type 1) virus that causes cold sores become infected before the age of 10? Children can often contract the virus by coming into contact with infected parents and siblings - and then they pass it on by rubbing outbreaks and touching other people and things. However, because the herpes virus doesn't always immediately manifest itself, and because it stays in the body, outbreaks can occur at any time without indicating where the infection came from.
After infection, the virus usually hangs out in a nerve somewhere near the cheekbone and comes out to play when the infected person is sick, stressed or exposed to a lot of sunlight. Unfortunately, there are no cures or vaccines for the herpes simplex virus, but there are treatments for the fever blisters themselves that can sometimes shorten the length of outbreaks and soothe the symptoms.
When you have an outbreak, the best thing to do is to keep the sore clean and dry to avoid any other infections, and to be careful about touching it and spreading the infection of other areas of the body - or to other people.
Yes
No
Flag
Comments
Add a new comment - No HTMLYou must be logged in and verified to post a comment. Please log in or sign up to comment.